‘‘Perhaps we in the modern West need to be reminded that we are not just creatures of the eye, we are full-bodied beings with the capacity to learn about the world through all of our senses’’ (Classen, 1999, 278).​

​

Science predicates being objective and neutral - the view from nowhere. This notion is what is foundational for ​Molecular Oscillations:  an artistic research project whose development began in 2025 by reMA student Beau Voerman in collaboration with chemist Denise Vonck and composer Johan Kooi. The project conducts research on the translation of specific smells into sound using infrared spectroscopy. Molecular oscillations refer to the physical atomic vibrations within a molecule which makes it distinguishable from one another. IR spectroscopy is a data-driven method to analyse the vibrational properties within molecules. The data derived from specific odorants have been converted into audio frequencies and composed into ambient soundscapes. On this page, there will be a distinction between the methodology of translation and the methodology of curation in order to make the research process transparent. Though smell is difficult to archive, spectroscopy offers a method to render smell measurable. This creates a system in which smell becomes audible. This website operates as a mediating interface designed to curate the data derived from the research. The data is accessible through navigating the fragrance wheel that is split up in multiple tiers, which provide detailed information on the chosen odorants, perceptible qualities and their molecular oscillations. 

​

​​

Conceptual framing

​

The project is based on the Vibration Theory first put forward by Malcolm Dyson in 1938, who drew directly from physicist Raman’s work, who discovered that the scattering of light revealed the vibrational patterns within molecules (Turin, 2007, 121). Dyson argued that the vibrational patterns within odorants must reveal something fundamental about the nature of smell and how this is perceived by the body. In 1996, biophysicist Luca Turin revisited the theory and integrated the docking theory which suggests that the shape of a molecule determines its odour. In 2006, Turin published his book The Secret of Scent which provides an accessible explanation of the vibration theory suggesting that receptors in the nose function like locks and odorants like keys. He described that specific odorants fit in specific receptors through their shape like a key fits in a lock. However, something must turn on the lock which could be explained by the vibrational properties of odorants gently wiggling the lock open (Turin, 2007, 127). 

 

What becomes clear is that the vast majority of theories on olfaction thus far try to explain olfactory reception through molecular behaviour (e.g., shape, vibration). Based on this notion, the concept to translate specific odorants into sound using IR spectroscopy and its extension into the project Molecular Oscillations emerged. The specific odorants chosen for this project (Benzyl Salicylate, Cyclamen Aldehyde, Ambroxan, Dihydromyrcenol and Calone) have been used to compose a fragrance that resembles the smell of the river IJssel. This has laid the foundation for Beau's Master Thesis research question: What did the translation process — from the embodied smell of the IJssel, through the IR spectroscopy, into sound — reveal about the gap between objective data and phenomenological experience? The thesis will be published later this year.

​​​

​

Methodology of translation​

​

Step 1 - Creating the brief

​

The brief is a key method in perfumery to conceptually describe the fragrance to develop. It operates as a moodboard in which a story can be brought across or an abstract idea or an inspiration as a starting point. It could be used to evoke experiences, memories, associations and emotions.

​

Step 2 - Composing accords

​

An accord is a short formula that consists of a few fragrance ingredients that suggest a specific olfactory impression. For example, the smell of rose. It is a method within perfumery to create a core or building blocks for a perfume. It is also common to create several accords and combine them in a composition.

​

Step 3 - Blending

​

Blending fragrance ingredients is a very precise method which is documented on a formula sheet. Ingredients are dispensed into bottles, using pipettes and measured on a precision scale to weigh the amount of grams according to the formula. Any mistake will be noted on the formula sheet and bottles are being labelled to ensure consistent protocol.

​

Step 4 - Macerating, sniffing and recomposing the formula

​

Compositions are made in a short period of time and their scents are tracked every other day to monitor their shifts. For at least 6 weeks step 1-4 have been conducted over again by rereading the brief, refining the compositions, altering the formulas and comparing compositions. After 25 accords, one of the compositions was chosen as strongly resonating with bodies of water or 'IJssel'.

​

Step 5 - Documenting behaviour of smell

​

The fragrance ingredients have been analysed as isolated and in composition to determine their shift in perception, volatility (evaporation rate) and projection (how strongly a fragrance radiates). 

​

Step 6 - Volume recipe and Safety Data Sheet

​

Volume recipes give insight into the precise documentation of concentrations and volume of the ingredients used in the formulation which is an integral part of the Safety Data Sheet. The Safety Data Sheet provides information on hazardous chemical properties, health hazards, safety precautions, and emergency procedures. The documentation of the SDS and the use of the fragrance during exhibition are conforming IFRA standards category 12 (no direct skin contact) (IFRA standards, 2025).

​

Step 7 - Infrared spectroscopy​

 

A spectrometer is an analytical device that shines infrared light on a sample (liquid, solid, gas). The molecule is brought into an excited state and must return to the ground state in which it will release a package of energy. This package of energy is analysed by the spectrometer. The energy released corresponds to the frequencies and intensity at which the molecule moves. The IR light will be absorbed at specific frequencies, while the rest of the light passes through the bottle. The spectrometer analyses the absorption which is visual in dips in the spectrum. These dips are called absorption bands which form a pattern. The pattern acts as the molecular signature. In this particular project, spectroscopy is being used to determine the vibrations of synthetic odorants that are made up of one molecule. These types of odorants are less complex than natural odorants since they can consist of hundreds of molecules. Due to their complex nature and the current limited timeframe for the project, naturals are not considered at this stage. 

 

In collaboration with chemist Vonck, we have used spectra from a database to extract molecular data from and analyse the vibrational properties of the odorants mentioned before.

​

Step 8 - Sonification

​

In the studio with composer Johan Kooi, we worked in collaboration on the translation of the data into audio that is within the hearing spectrum. This process is a method of sonification: the process of translating data into sound to reveal mathematical patterns. Though we have considered to stay as close as possible to the original and raw data, de translation in composition needed to be altered by using effects so that the ear can distinguish one audible odorant from another. Similar to the infrared spectroscopy, the data is guided by human interpretation. ​​

​​​

​​

Curational methodology

 

Step 1 - Data repository on Figshare

 

The data produced in the research project is stored on figshare.com. Figshare is an online repository for researchers and provides flexibility to upload and manage documentations. The platform is free accessible and creates the opportunity to share, discover and cite documents (Figshare, 2025). The data that has been derived from figshare are solely the frequencies and intensities of the odorants and the audio recordings. Detailed information on the infrared spectral analysis can be found on the 'resources' section in the header of this page. This detailed documentation, however, is excluded from the current website as to not overwhelm visitors of this website with dense technical information.

​

Step 2 - Data derived from Scentree

​

Specific data on the perceptible properties of odorant ingredients have been derived from scentree.co. Scentree is an open-access database that provides extensive information through a visually oriented mapping of olfactory properties. What has been specifically derived for the purpose of this website, are the categorizations (e.g., main family, subfamily) and the descriptors of scents to separate them into a hierarchical system.

​

Step 3 - Fragrance wheel

 

​The visual mapping for Molecular Oscillations is through a fragrance wheel. This is a hierarchical, circular diagram that categorizes scents. It consists of tiers which become increasingly specific when going outwards. This is a perfumery method to visually map fragrance ingredients. 

For the purpose of this project, solely the odorants that have been translated are mapped. Every word in the diagram is interactive (clickable). Below an example of the fragrance wheel is used to navigate the interface. The inner tier and middle tier consist regular information that can be found on scentree.co. 

​

​​

​​

​

​​​​​

​

The wave the molecular oscillation of the specific odorant

​​

The outer tier fragrance ingredient (specific odorant chosen)

​

The middle tier subfamily (branch of main family)

​

​The inner tier main family (primary category)

​

​​​​​

​

​​​​​

​

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

​

 

Case Study: Scents and Sonics of the Ocean: Multisensorial traces of lost and recovered memories of Sapelo Island

 

Scents and Sonics of the Ocean is a multisensorial installation in which science, scent and sound intersect. The project is a collaboration of multidisciplinary artist and composer Malte Leander, professor and researcher Julia Kubanek, perfumer Yosh Han and Ocean Memory Project. The latter being a collaborative network to connect researchers from various disciplines to explore the intersection of ocean and memory through a transdisciplinary lens (Scents And Sonics Of The Ocean, 2024). ​Within this project, soundscapes have been composed based on the analysis of the chemical structures of odorants through spectroscopy. The research question that has laid the foundation for this project is as follows: Does the ocean have memory, and if so, what form does it take?  The purpose of the project is to revive memories of the Sapelo Island in Georgia, from the indigenous communities that lived there over 4000 years ago to the early 1800s in which enslaved Black people were forced to farm plantations, who later established around the island after the Civil War. Therefore, the project is not only a sensorial experience that connects visitors to the memory and history but also to the colonial entanglements of the island. ''The focus was on the topic of memory loss, particularly in relation to system processes and human memory including the importance of historical and current-day human populations on Sapelo Island; the rich Gullah-Geechee culture; the geological history of barrier islands; the role of chemical signaling in marine ecology and the role of story-telling and science writing in ocean science communication.'' (Client Challenge, z.d.)

​

The sensory themes that have been composed into fragrance and paired with sound compositions derived from molecular data are archived on linkt.ree, which gives access to the soundscapes, the process of the project and the artistic outcome: https://linktr.ee/scentsandsonics

What can be noticed is the detailed information they provide in their documentation. For example, the fragrances composed are described by the characteristics of the smells that resonate with the notion of COAST, MARSH and FOREST. They furthermore explain the process by noting that several trials were produced to find the proper resemblance of the scents.​ They additionally provide a clear explanation on how the molecular structures of the specific scents have been analysed based on their molecular structure using NMR spectroscopy. NMR spectroscopy is, similar to IR spectroscopy, an analytical instrument to analyse the vibrational properties of molecules. ''The NMR spectrum has peaks depicting the resonance frequency of each atom. The pattern of peaks is used to determine the chemical structure of each scent molecule and then reported in the scientific literature.'' (Scents And Sonics-Printed Handout And poster.pdf, z.d.) The spectra derived from the molecules have been processed through the method of sonification and musification, using a software to determine how the soundscapes are built and transcribed. The soundscapes produced are based on the dips and peaks in the spectrum. This fundamentally differs from the methodology of Molecular Oscillations in several aspects, namely: 1) the use of a different medium (NMR spectra instead of IR spectra), 2) the purpose of the project (memory of the ocean versus the translation of molecular data into sound), 3) The interpretation of peaks and dips and what they represent (a full spectrum or the frequencies and intensities produced by molecules). They furthermore do not give insight into whether noise and/or contamination in the spectrum is reduced, eliminated or used a part of the translation process. 4) Above all, the soundscapes produced are significantly different which emphasizes that the chosen media mediates and that translation is not a singular bridge that moves smoothly in one direction. 

​​​​​

​

Reflection

 

This website operates as an archive and extension of the research project, giving insight into methodologies of translation and curation. What has furthermore become clear in that the process of curation is a method that creates visibility and invisibility at the same time through selection and exclusion. In this sense, the methodology of curation is a translation as well, as it loses fundamental aspects of the original source in the process. As can be noted, the process of translation is not a neutral act, and transparency in the use of methodologies offers transparency into the research process. Besides this aspect, there is also an important task in curation and  the visual mapping of data derived to give access to the research materials produced through translation. What might not be revealed at first glance is that, with a background in Crossmedia Design, the most time-consuming process was to design the website and make it easy to navigate for visitors. On the other side, it has offered to opportunity to make the research accessible for anyone that has access to the internet. It also helped make valuable decisions into what type of data is relevant to make the website function in a way that it can be understood. It is organized through a fragrance wheel that operates as a strong visual communicator which maps the research materials.  

​​

The purpose of this website is to lay the foundation for a bigger platform, preferably to be navigated similarly as scentree.co, that will give insight into as many odorants as could be possibly translated. However, the project itself is a preliminary stage into developing a rigorous method. It is therefore vital to collaborate with musicians that are experts in the field of sonification and scientists that have broad experience with IR and NMR spectroscopy. The purpose is to refine the methodology and its visual representation and manner of archiving the materials produced. What remains an issue in the archival process is that it is difficult to archive scent, though it could be archived by noting the fragrance ingredients and how they are balanced in a formula. This is currently the only manner in which it could be archived. In conclusion, the website gives access to the research project, methodologies and the materials produced, but it is limited to sight and hearing. This conclusion resonates with philosopher Joseph Vogl notion on media storing and mediating things under conditions that are shaped and constituted by the media themselves. In other words, media mediates what arises, what is mediated and what is erased in the process of mediation (Vogl, 2007, 16). The raw scientific translation of infrared spectra has become a membrane between data and body. This membrane, however, is filled with tension, as media continuously mediate one another. The medium is the message (Vogl, 2007, 16); the medium is leading, and this above all, calls the notion of scientific neutrality into question.

​

​

​​​​

References

​

Classen, C. (1999). Other Ways to Wisdom: Learning Through the Senses Across Cultures. International Review Of Education, 45(3–4), 269–280. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1003894610869

​

Client challenge. (z.d.). https://malteleander.bandcamp.com/album/scents-and-sonics-multisensorial-traces-of-lost-and-recovered-memories-of-sapelo-island

​

Digital_Admin. (2024b, November 26). Scents and Sonics of the Ocean: Live Demonstration at DOS 2024. Digital Olfaction Society. https://digital-olfaction.com/news/scents-and-sonics-of-the-ocean-live-demonstration-at-dos-2024/

​​

Figshare. (2025, 18 February). About - Figshare. https://info.figshare.com/about/

​

IFRA Standards. (2025, 16 July). IFRA. https://ifrafragrance.org/initiatives-positions/safe-use-fragrance-science/ifra-standards​​

​​

Scents and Sonics-Printed handout and poster.pdf. (z.d.). Google Docs. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G-8Iesc6FhvQVYiSvHXhsfZib9A4Rurt/view

​

Scents and Sonics of The Ocean. (2024, 25 March). The Institute For Art And Olfaction. https://artandolfaction.com/exhibitions/scents-sonics-ocean/

​Turin, L. (2007) The Secret of Scent: adventures in perfume and the science of smell, 87-132. HarperCollins.

​​

Vogl, J. (2007). Becoming-media: Galileo’s telescope. Grey Room, 29, 14–25. https://doi.org/10.1162/grey.2007.1.29.14

​

​